Devices including a display screen are common. Everything from personal computers to coffee makers typically contain some form of display screen. Many mobile wireless devices include a display screen. Many of these mobile wireless devices do not have the large amount of processing ability of personal computers. Graphical user interfaces can sometimes use a great deal of processor capacity, memory, or both. This is one reason why mobile wireless devices do not typically use graphical user interfaces, or use limited graphical user interfaces.
However, graphical user interfaces are typically popular with consumers. Many consumers find graphical user interfaces to be intuitive and easy to use. It would be advantageous to develop systems and methods that allow graphical user interfaces to be implemented on mobile wireless devices with limited processing ability, or limited memory, or both. While not as necessary, systems and methods that reduce the amount of processing necessary to implement a graphical user interface are also advantageous for systems with more processing ability.
As stated above, some mobile wireless devices with limited processing ability have limited graphical user interfaces. More “user friendly” graphic user interfaces are known for use on computers.
A “desk top” is an area of screen that typically has icons. The icons typically represent programs, or files. For example, graphical user interfaces on personal computers typically have a “desk top.” On a personal computer a “mouse” is used to move a cursor to select an icon. When an icon is “double clicked” the personal computer typically runs the program associated with that icon.
As will be clear to those that are familiar with graphical user interfaces, “icons” can typically be moved around on the “desk top.” Additionally different “icons” and different “windows” can be moved on top of one another. This graphics intense type operating system typically uses a great deal of processor power.
A graphical user interface using “icons” and a “desk top” can be implemented on a mobile wireless device. However, the mobile wireless device would not typically use a “mouse.” Typically key depressions on the mobile wireless devices keypad would move the cursor. As stated above, a graphical user interface can some times use a great deal of memory, processing ability, or both.
A common way to implement a graphical display system is to map memory locations to locations on the display screen. FIG. 6A graphically shows one possible implementation of such a system. FIG. 6A includes components 500 of a graphical display system. The components 500 include a display screen 502 and a display memory 504. The display memory 504 is mapped to locations on the display screen 502. Values stored in the display memory 504 are shown pictorially. Values representing a pattern are stored in the display memory 504 and communicated to the display screen through the connection 506.
A portion of a display screen 502 and a portion of display screen memory 504 are shown on FIG. 6B. The portion of the display screen 502 is shown as 552 on FIG. 6B and the portion of display memory is shown as 583. The values stored in the portion of display screen memory 583 are shown as binary digits. Recall that the values stored in the display screen memory 504 of FIG. 6A are shown pictorially. In FIG. 6B values for a portion of the display screen memory 584 are shown. The portion 583 of the screen memory 504 includes five stored values. Reading from left to right, the value “0” 570 corresponds to the dark pixel 554 shown on the portion of display screen 552. The value “1” 575 corresponds to the light pixel 558. The value “1” 577 corresponds to the light pixel 560. The value “0” 572 corresponds to the dark pixel 556 shown on the portion of display screen 552 and the last value “1” 579 corresponds to the light pixel 562.
In order to efficiently implement a graphical user interface on a mobile wireless device with limited processing power, limited memory, or both, an efficient way to process values stored on in the display screen memory should be found. In other words, a way to efficiently process values in a memory mapped display should be found. Examples have been discussed involving mobile handsets with limited processor power. However, it will be clear to those of skill in the art that this efficient way to process values stored in the display screen memory could also be used to make mobile wireless devices that are not as limited by processor power to operate more efficiently.